What is your home defense load or preference?

[stroo]

I like frangibles inside the house so my Kimber Ultra, my Hi power, my P 11 and my Ruger P 95 all have either Glaser, Magsafe or RBCD in the pipe with two more on the top of the magazine, then Corbon DPX for the rest of the load. Usually I carry the Hi Power with the Kimber and the KT P 11 in a safe upstairs and the Ruger in my gun safe downstairs. I also have a Mossberg 500 upstairs with buck shot followed by slugs and shotguns and rifles in my gun safe downstairs. My family has instructions to either retreat to my gun cabinet or to where my other guns are depending on whether the breakin in occuring in the front or the back of the house.

I sometimes wonder if I am paranoid but we have had a couple of home invasions in the general vicinity in the last month, including my wife's boss' house and I was surprised at my wife's pleased reaction when I recently went through what was available for her. Usually she claims I have too many guns. Not now though.

[mctowalot]

re: "I sometimes wonder if I'm paranoid" part of the previous post: "just because your paranoid does not mean there not out to get you". I have only been a member of this forum for a short time and I find if a relief to realize that I'm not alone in my level of concern for my family. I don't think any of us are paranoid, I think we might just have our heads screwed on a little tighter than the majority of folks. I pray that none of us ever need the protections we have in place - but I don't think any of us will ever be that "sad, poor family" that appears in the daily media as victims.
As a another previous poster put it "I don't think any of us are candidates for the losing side of a home invasion".
P.S. At first I was afraid to admit that I carried more than one gun, but after checking out the "Post of pic. of your daily carry thread" I know I'm in good company!

[GeoJAP]

Ruger SP-101 .357 Magnum, loaded with Federal 357B ammo, that I pretty much always have in my pocket (like right now). I also have a Ruger GP-100 and SigSauer P239 handy in the house, within arms-length of my bed.

Those should give me time to get to the safe, where there is a veritable world of hurt that can be brought to play if it is still needed.

[LeonCarr]

Various 9mms - Winchester Ranger 127 +P+
Various S&W .38/.357 Revolvers - Speer Gold Dot .38 +P 135 grain GDHP
Remington 870P 12 gauge - Winchester Ranger Low Recoil 00 Buckshot or Slugs
SKS - Winchester 7.62 x 39 123 grain Power-Point
AR - Federal Gold Medal .223 69 grain JHP

Just keep in mind that any firearm that will reliably take a human life WILL penetrate the walls of the average house/apartment. ALWAYS be aware of your target, and whats behind it.

Just like Mr. Greybeard says...Training, Testing, Practice!

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

[Familyman1993]

My primary home defense is also my daily carry, a Ruger P97DC. For self-defense I currently use 230gr Federal Hydra-Shok.

[milkcartonkid]

Glock 30 with Hydrashoks and the wally world special Mossberg Maverick with 00 buckshot.
Nothing fancy here. I do carry 24/7 while in the apt. Unfortunately we are ground floor with the ever present floor to ceiling glass patio door. On the positive, i should hear it shatter when the rapedog home invasionist decides to use it as an entrance. and the coroner uses it for his exit.

[macktruckturner]

Whatever's on hand is my preferred home defense load in my pistols, I'd take a mag full of JHPs over ball - but if I'm defending my life, I'll go with a big stick if it's all I've got. 12ga. 00 and 000 Buck are real serious penetrators - people plus a few walls with ease. If in-home defense is strictly the purpose of any 12ga in my possession, it'll be stoked with with #4 Buck, which will kill a man just as dead as 00 or 000. Any of my rifles will certainly cause an exit wound, and the round is definitely going through walls - count on it. It's already been said, but absolute care must be given to what is beyond your target, and not just directly either, as bullets can and will deflect in-target. Many have said that descretion is the greater part of valor, and that can't be stressed enough. If you have a family, develop a plan that enables all able bodies to rapidly construct a defensive and secure position where they are at. You live there, you know your home. Clearing a hot building is serious business, business during the course of which many good men (and women) have died through no fault of their own. Frankly, doing so should be an absolute last resort unless you happen to be playing poker in the basement with a trained fireteam during a home invasion, and your gun safe is between you and the door. Clearly, there are extremes during which any person would throw caution, descretion, and their own personal safety to the wind - such as the potential rape/death of family. I know I would - but plan A is not to go gun blazing into the living room for the good of all that is Samsung LCD. Odds of survival are far greater when all members of the household have a clear defensive plan. When you have home-field advantage, good defense has a whole heck of a lot better odds than a good offense. Be able and willing to combine the two, and you might end up on the front page, instead of the obituaries.

Where weapon lights are concerned, having seen enough people shot immediately after going bright, there's not a chance in any of Dante's firey rings that I'll ever use one. Having also personally choked out numerous prankster soldiers relying on "incapacitating blindness" after popping me in the face with their Surefires, I've got no faith in that marketing ploy. Use one if you wish, but be aware that a big bright area where darkness once existed makes one heck of an easy target. Putting that target directly in front of your body exponentially increases the probability that even potshots cause you potentially fatal wounds. You should never engage a target you are unsure of, but ID can be made without giving away your concealed position - and in a family environment, such should be part of your plan.

[The Annoyed Man]

Currently, I keep Federal 230 gr Hydro-Shoks in my Kimber Stainless Ultra Carry II, and Federal 180 gr Hydro-Shoks in my H&K USP Compact in .40 S&W.

I used to be quite a devotee of Corbon +P loads in .45 ACP, but I've found that they aren't always easy to get. I actually have a box of the old Black Talons still in my safe. Since they are now essentially available as the SXT, I'll go ahead and shoot these on a range day. The box has got to be over 10 years old.

I've read somewhere that there is a new Federal design that basically supplants the Hydro-Shoks. Can someone tell me what it is?

[Familyman1993]

I've read somewhere that there is a new Federal design that basically supplants the Hydro-Shoks. Can someone tell me what it is?

Federal HST is the only one I know of that is a newer ammo to the Hydra-Shok. Others here I'm sure may have more accurate information.

[pedalman]

S&W Model 19 with Winchester Silvertip .38 +P rounds. I prefer my Glock 22 with Winchester Rangers, but the revolver would be easier for my wife to handle, in the event that I am not at home.

My wife doesn't shoot a lot, so I feel the revolver is a better choice for the house. Plus, it did belong to her late father. I consider it more of an heirloom; his way of still looking after her from above.